Page 139 of Fractured Fate

Charlotte slumped in the chair, sliding down with her hands over her face, muttering into her palms. “I can’t believe it. No wonder I never fit in with them. They were keeping secrets from me.”

“To be fair,” the headmistress said, “it is against our laws to reveal the secrets to humans. If a human finds out, we have to wipe their memory to protect ourselves. Your friends were protecting you and following the law.”

“Does this mean you’re going to take away my memory now?” She didn’t want to forget.

“No. The issue of the Korrena throws a wrench in that.”

“Oh yeah, that. You were gonna tell me what that was. Sorry. This is so much.”

“I told you. Your apologies aren’t necessary. This is foreign territory for you, and in some ways, it is for us as well. While we went through it with Blaire, we didn’t expect another human to manifest a Korrena mark until the prophecy fulfilled itself.”

A knock sounded on the door.

“Come in,” the headmistress called.

When the door opened, and Blaire stepped inside, Charlotte jumped from the chair. She stared at her best friend, emotions ricocheting around in her chest like balls in a pinball machine. Relief at seeing a familiar face, confusion, and a small tendril of betrayal hovered in the back of her mind like a wraith.

“I thought it wise to bring her in to help in this situation. A friendly face—someone like you.”

Blaire came forward and stopped in front of Charlotte. “I’m so sorry we couldn’t tell you.” A tear trailed down her cheek. “I wanted to tell you so many times. I wanted you to know the truth.”

Charlotte looked at her feet. She still wore the strappy heels from the club, her sexy outfit feeling out of place and uncomfortable in the light of the cozy office.

“I was about to explain to Charlotte what a Korrena is and about the prophecy. Your timing is perfect,” the headmistress said, motioning to the other black leather chair beside Charlotte’s that Blaire took.

Charlotte sat back down. She would have to face the emotions she felt about not knowing everything later. Right now, she couldn’t do it.

“A prophecy was given long ago foretelling Blaire’s arrival in our world. Only recently have we uncovered her connection to an ancient bloodline dating back many centuries. A bloodline filled with magic, linking to the witches and warlocks of old who were eliminated in a mass genocide to appease a king’s lust for power. Blaire is the only descendant of this bloodline, and her becoming one of our kind will herald the awakening of any human with dormant magic in their blood, allowing them to find their Korrena mate.”

Blaire looked at Charlotte. “The Vasirian have a king who rules over them and sets their laws. I met him when we went to Europe. There’s an entire family in power and extended courtiers called the Blackthorn Clan.”

“Like the school?”

“Yeah. It’s named after them. Dominic is a distant cousin of the royal family. He’s part of the clan.”

Well, that explained why everyone followed his lead without question.

She turned in her seat toward Blaire, resting her hand on the arm of the chair. “But witches? Seriously? Magic? That’s a thing?”

Blaire suppressed a smile, but her lip kept quirking. “‘fraid so.”

“Jesus,” Charlotte breathed. “Wait. Does he even exist?” She didn’t consider if she believed the Christian faith, but was it wrong to even use the word?

Blaire’s face scrunched.

The headmistress shook her head. “We’ve believed for many centuries that multiple gods governed our existence and that humans got it wrong—and right on some levels. It felt like the Greeks got closest to what we thought to be the truth, but even they were incorrect. The Oracle informs us the stars created us and watch over our actions.”

“The stars?” Charlotte deadpanned.

“Celestial Conclave, to be precise. Similar to gods but manifested in stars. Beings without corporeal form like you would believe gods to have.”

“This is crazy.”

Blaire laughed. “How do you think I feel? I’m supposed to save an entire species.”

“What?” Charlotte winced when the headmistress’ eyebrows rose in surprise at her high volume.

“Yeah. The prophecy. If I don’t become a Vasirian, the species eventually dies.”